Compromise
by MusicRocks807
Summary: April accompanies Casey to the hospital. A particular patient catches her by surprise. It would be safer to leave well enough alone, but caution stopped being April's thing a long time ago.
1. Compromise

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, nor do I make any profit from these stories. Also, I have little to no hospital/medical knowledge, so if any details are incorrect then please chalk it up to artistic license.**

* * *

Casey was a moron.

April had been aware of that since the day he hit her with a hockey puck in the school corridor, but this one was stupid even for him. Even the one and only Casey Jones had enough common sense not to attempt a one-footed flip on a skate ramp - or so she thought, anyway. She had also assumed that after literally saving the Earth, the hockey nut would mellow a little, but no such luck. So now April was sat on an uncomfortable plastic chair in the hospital waiting room while a doctor decided whether or not Casey's leg was broken. Wonderful.

She was replying to a text from Casey's dad - April had called the ambulance, but Mr Jones was bringing Casey's sister up to meet him - when a groan of frustration caught her attention.

"For Pete's sake, Christine, the girl is _dying_!" A man at the reception desk snapped at a blonde lady behind it.

'Christine' sighed regretfully. "Hank, I can't admit her without any identification-"

"Why not?"

"Because we have no medical records to treat her, not to mention the fact that we don't know where she came from-"

" _The sewers_ , okay? She came from the sewers," the man explained. April stifled a gasp. "A couple of workers found her lying in one of the tunnels. When they realised she was alive, they brought her to us, but whatever she has we can't treat."

"I can't..."

"We'll cover all of the costs," he promised.

The receptionist hesitated. "All of it? The treatment will be expensive if she's as sick as you say."

"All of it. That's the point of the charity; healing homeless youths."

"... I'll see what I can do," the woman finally relented.

The man thanked her, then hurried outside. April grabbed a random magazine from the coffee table to hide behind as he and another man carried a young woman through the doors. The patient was clearly delirious, writhing in their arms and murmuring incoherently. She was wrapped in a patchwork blanket, but April could see she wore a simple cotton dress underneath. The change of attire and lack of make-up did not completely throw the redhead, however, and she recognised the girl immediately. She would recognise that face anywhere.

"Karai..." she breathed in disbelief.

Despite the fact that her clothes were clean and her hair had been washed recently, Karai looked terrible. Her skin was flushed pink and beaded with sweat, the shape of her bones very apparent underneath. With a pang of pity, April wondered how long Karai had gone without proper sustenance.

When she began to shriek, April was about to go over to her, before the other man held her close and stroked her hair soothingly. "Shh..." He crooned softly, in a deep tone that held resemblance to a certain turtle's new voice. "Shh, it's okay. You're gonna be okay. Just quiet down for now, all right? There's a good girl."

Karai relaxed quickly as the man spoke, seemingly comforted by his tone of voice. It was surreal from April's point of view. Never had she seen Karai so calm, bar the occasional whimpers and whines.

"Where are we taking her?" The man-who-sounded-like-Leo asked.

The first man turned to the receptionist, who called over a young nurse with a stretcher and rattled off some directions to her. The nurse nodded, and pulled Karai from the blanket to lie her on the stretcher. The kunoichi put up a fight, but it was a mere fraction of her usual fire. Both men thanked her, then began talking to the receptionist again. The-man-who-sounded-like-Leo bid Karai goodbye with a gentle wave and a pat on the head, before the nurse wheeled her away. April waited less than a minute before slipping after the nurse, ninja training in full-use.

The redhead kept at a safe distance behind, quietly following down the winding hallways, taking note of her surroundings for the mad rush she would likely have to make to get back to Casey's family. April was eventually stopped when the nurse entered a ward.

"Dang it..." she muttered, before raising herself on her tiptoes to peek through the window. She watched the nurse wheel the stretcher into a little room segregated from the rest of the ward. Hurriedly, April jotted the ward number down on the back of her hand, then dashed back to the reception area to meet Mr Jones.

* * *

Since Casey had in fact managed to fracture a bone, he arrived on crutches with a heavy cast weighing down his leg. The Jones' offered April a ride home, but she declined on the grounds that her dad was picking her up. Casey gave her a suspicious glance - clearly he _was_ listening that time she told him about her dad losing his license on account of his mental health - but knew better than to question her aloud. She would explain to him later. After all, she doubted Casey would be Karai's first choice of guest.

 _Then again, I'm probably not either,_ April mused, but that was just tough; she wasn't about to try and sneak Leo through the hospital.

After Casey and his family left, April went for a slow walk around the block, waiting for visiting hours. She hadn't really composed much of a plan, but thankfully, there was a small family entering the ward at the same time as her. Nobody gave her a second glance, not even when she slipped into Karai's little room.

The kunoichi was sleeping, luckily. The hospital staff had most likely given her a sedative. Feeling awkward, April sat down quietly on a small plastic chair and took a proper look at the girl in the bed.

Up close, the girl looked nothing like Karai. She had the same facial features, but they were drawn and bony. She had the same hair, but it was unkempt and the dye had outgrown. Shredder's brainwashing had kept her in good shape, but the toned muscles looked out of place under her sickly pale skin. Even in unconsciousnes, her brow was creased, as though something strongly troubled her.

April sighed. "You poor thing..." She lay a hand on Karai's forehead, and cringed at the fever burning through her skin.

There was an IV line in Karai's arm, infusing nutrients to her. April couldn't help wondering how long it would be before Karai could stomach actual food again; possibly a while, depending on whatever illness she had.

The redhead frowned at the thought. "Of course you're sick," she murmured. "If you were slumming in the sewers, you could have who knows what. Damn it..."

Karai whined softly in her sleep, shifting beneath April's hand.

"Hmm..." April watched her closely. "You couldn't have been in the sewers all this time. The guys would have found you; they looked everywhere. They said you must have left the city. But if you left the city, then how would those guys have found you in...?"

The girl keened louder, turning on her side. Her hand stretched out, as though searching for something. "...Msorreh... msorreh..."

"Sorry...?" Suddenly, she understood. She gasped. "You came back for them, didn't you? That's why you were in the sewers! You got lost looking for them! Man, I've gotta tell the guys about this, they'll be so-"

Karai shrieked, arching her back off the bed. April hurried to quell her, hoping none of the staff heard the girl's cries. "Shh, shh, don't freak out, it's okay..."

The redhead's heart dropped to her stomach like a rock when Karai's eyes began to flicker open. She squinted against the light, moaning almost inaudibly as she slumped on April's shoulder.

Swallowing nervously, April chanced a, "Karai...?"

The girl froze, then began to shake. Cautiously, April wrapped an arm around her, thinking she was cold. She was thoroughly unprepared when Karai jerked away from her. April almost fell from her chair, and Karai smacked her head against the wall behind her, prompting another pained whine. Despite her annoyance, the redhead still moved to help, gently grasping Karai's head.

The girl mumbled something indiscernible that went ignored. April inspected her head carefully, and although she found no recent injury, she did discover an alarming scar just hidden beneath her hairline. She had to suppress the urge to vomit as she realised just how Shredder had likely given her that scar. No wonder Leo had had such a hard time getting that brain-worm out of her.

A soft sob drew April from her thoughts. Karai seemed to have given up fighting her, instead straining not to cry. It shocked April. The last thing she had expected to happen was for _Karai_ to cry - if anything, she would have expected herself as the most likely candidate.

"Don't cry," she said impulsively. Karai glanced up, seeming surprised by the friendly tone. "There's nothing wrong. I mean come on, there's no way you actually think _I_ can hurt _you_. If I threw a punch at you, I'd break my knuckles."

The girl sniffed, scrubbing furiously at the one tear that ran down her cheek. April smiled at her. "Okay, look, how about a truce? I know we've not always, uh... got on great, but we've gotta look at facts here. I mean, technically you're a Hamato, right? And since the Hamatos have kinda become my second family, I guess it makes sense for us to at least tolerate each-other...?" She chuckled awkwardly, trying to break the tension.

It didn't work. Karai just continued to stare at her in bemusement.

"Where am I?" she rasped, her voice strained.

April swallowed. "You're in a hospital."

Karai's brow furrowed in further confusion. "How?"

"Some workers found you lost in the sewers and took you to a homeless kids' charity," the redhead explained. "You were sick and delirious, so they brought you here."

The older kunoichi eyed her suspiciously. "Then how are _you_ here?"

"I was here anyway with Casey- Did you ever meet Casey? He's the loudmouth with the hockey stick."

For a moment, Karai frowned, as though struggling to remember something. Then, her eyes widened and she gasped. Before she could be questioned however, she quickly replied, "Yes, I met him."

Deciding not to push the matter further, April continued, "Well, I was here with him and his broken leg when those guys brought you in."

"Oh." Karai shifted in the bed.

An awkward silence settled over them, but an unspoken question still lingered in the air.

Finally, April relented, guessing correctly that Karai would never find the words to inquire. "Look, when they brought you in, you were... I don't know, you looked really sick. Honestly, you still kinda do." She paused before finishing, "I came in to see if you were okay."

"Why?" She snapped, suddenly vicious.

April's face paled in irrational fear, but she recovered quickly. "I was worried," she admitted.

The two regarded each-other quietly for a moment. There was still a lot of unresolved tension between them, but a small amount had been relieved and for now, a tentative compromise had been reached. Taking a chance, April smirked at her dark-haired companion. To her utter surprise, Karai hesitated for only a few seconds before offering a small smile in return. Warmth spread in April's chest at the realisation; Karai was the closest to rejoining her family than she had been in years. The redhead could only hope the girl's acceptance hadn't been born of delirium. Speaking of which, Karai was being strangely calm for someone who-

A high-pitched giggling cut through her thoughts.

She turned to Karai in confusion. "What?"

The older kunoichi just continued to laugh hysterically.

April sighed. Apparently Karai's moment of clarity had passed.

* * *

 **This idea got stuck in my head and wouldn't leave me alone. I know it's implausible, but I like it for some reason. I'm not sure yet if I'm leaving it here or maybe adding another chapter with the Turtles visiting... I don't know, let me know in a review if you want any more of this.**

 **Regardless, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it :)**

 **~ MusicRocks807**


	2. Explanation

After a quick skim through Karai's medical folder, April slipped out of the ward again. She hastily typed a message to her father that she was going to be late for dinner, then called Donnie.

He answered on the second ring, as usual. _"Hey April, what's up?"_

She laughed dryly. "You won't believe me when I tell you. Pick me up on Harbour Avenue?"

 _"On the other side of town? Where are you now?"_

"At the hospital-"

 _"At the hospital? Is everything okay?" Some crashing and a frantic yell to his brothers. "Hang on April, we're getting in the Shellraiser now. We can be there in-"_

"Donnie, _I'm_ not in hospital!" She protested as loudly as she dared in public. "I only want you to pick me up because I'm so far from the lair!"

 _"O-oh. R-right. Uh... one sec."_ Another call to his brothers, this one more sheepish. _"So, uhm, why are you there?"_

"I was with Casey. Didn't he tell you guys about his leg?"

 _"Oh, about him beating up some local thugs and breaking it? Yeah, he told us."_

Concluding that she could ruin Casey's pride another time, April continued. "Yeah, well, I was up here with him and- Look, this is gonna take a lot of explaining, can I tell you later?"

 _"Sure. We're heading out now. See you soon."_

"See you..." April hung up and sighed. At least she'd bought herself some time to work out how the heck she was meant to explain this.

* * *

"Okay, so what's the big-"

"Karai's in hospital for cholera."

Four sets of wide eyes blinked back at her in shock. Granted, it hadn't been the most tactful way to break it to them, but after forty minutes of thinking it was the best April had come up with.

Eventually, it was Leo who managed to speak. "Karai? As in, _our_ Karai? _Master Splinter's daughter_ Karai?"

"How many do you think there are?" The joke fell flat.

"But... But that doesn't make any sense. W-we searched everywhere, she was gone!"

April shrugged helplessly. "Then I guess she's back? Workers found her in the sewers and took her to a homeless shelter, then the shelter staff brought her here."

"It's gotta be someone else, April," Raph huffed. "No-one's seen her in months; she left New York."

"Then she must've come back looking for you guys."

"There's no way you can prove that," the hot-headed turtle denied. "I mean, it's not like you spoke to her."

An awkward pause fell over the group. Raph just blinked. "You didn't."

April offered a half-smile. "I _may_ have kinda sorta _maybe_... sneaked-onto-the-ward-to-talk-to-her."

"Wait, you sneaked onto a hospital ward? April, what if you caught something?" Donnie pestered.

She rolled her eyes. "Don, you _know_ cholera's only passed by ingesting the bacterium."

"Well yeah, but it's not safe to-"

"Donnie I was just trying to help-"

"Guys, please, let's hear April out-"

"Leo, this is ridiculous! Karai is gone and-"

The chatter quickly turned to shouting. Soon the Shellraiser was filled with the angry voices of three turtles and one human-

"GUYS!"

\- until a fourth turtle shattered the noise.

Everyone turned to Mikey. The youngest turtle was still sat at his station, fiddling with a shuriken. He seemed nervous about yelling over his brothers, but he had a small smile on his face. "What if she's really home this time? I mean, she's in a _hospital_. Shredder's goons can't get her there."

There was a moment of silence as the others contemplated what he had said. Leo's eyes widened hopefully. "And she can't run from a hospital either, because the nurses will be watching her."

"It's definitely safer," Donnie agreed, "and if she's getting treatment, then they'll be making sure she has enough nutrients in her system."

Leo nodded emphatically. " _And_ she should be calmer, which means we'll get a chance to actually talk to her."

"Okay, are you hearing yourselves? This is insane!" Raph interrupted.

"Is it, Raph?" Leo asked. "What if she finally comes home this time?"

He sighed. "How do you know she even _wants_ to 'come home'?"

"Why else would she be back in the city?"

"I don't know Fearless, maybe wherever she ran off to was worse than here so she decided to take her chances."

"She told me she was sorry," said April quietly. All eyes turned to her. Suddenly, she felt awkward. "Well, she didn't say it to _me_ specifically, but I heard her say it in her sleep."

Three turtles turned to Raph expectantly. He folded his arms stubbornly. "She could be apologising for anything."

"Raph, come on!"

"Logically, it makes sense for her to be apologising for our situation."

"Don't you want her to come back?"

The red-banded turtle turned to his younger brother, a dangerous glint in his eyes. Mikey met his gaze evenly. "Don't you want our sister back?"

"This is pointless!" He snapped furiously. "We do this every time! We try so hard to get her back and every time we fail! And then, the one time we succeed, she can't handle her anger and leaves anyway! And the cycle starts again! I'm sick of it!"

Breathing heavily, Raph sank down onto his chair, deflating visibly as the fire left his body. Clearly he had been suppressing these thoughts for a long time. Nobody spoke for what seemed like an eternity, before the red-banded turtle murmured to the floor, "Yes, I want her back."

Hesitantly, April approached the volatile turtle. "I think she wants to come back, Raphael. At the very least I think she'll talk to you guys."

"Awesome!" cheered Mikey, leaping to his feet. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get in there!"

Leo caught the excited turtle by the shell as he tried to run out of the vehicle. "Mikey, we can't just walk through a hospital full of humans." He sighed in resignation. "We'll just have to wait."

"I'll figure out a way for you to get in," April promised. "I'll be going in to see her anyway. Oh, and I'll let you know when she's, uh... _ready_ to see you."

Raph glared at her accusingly. "I thought you said she'd talk to us?"

"I think she'd be willing," she assured, "it's just that she was, well... having a little bit of delirium."

"Delirium? Cholera doesn't usually cause that," Donnie interjected. April was about to speak, but he cut her off as he drifted into his thoughts. "Oh, unless the residual traces of mutagenic components in her DNA are reacting to the cholera bacterium, therefore causing her perception to be warped and-"

"Donnie," Leo cut in, "do you think you could figure that out in your head?"

"And then dumb it down for us?" Mikey added. "Also, what's delirium?"

The youngest went ignored as April returned her attention to Donnie. "You should have a couple of days; she was seriously dehydrated and had just been put on antibiotics."

"Okay. Do you think you can keep gathering information for me?" He requested. "If the mutagenic components are affecting the cholera, then the hospital might not be able to fully treat it."

"Yeah, of course, no problem."

"And April?" At Leo's voice, she turned to him. "Thanks for looking out for her."

She smiled. "It was nothing. She's actually pretty nice company when she's not beating me up."

"I know, right?"

* * *

 **Boo, short chapter :( Sorry guys, but I wanted to write the Turtles finding out, and I couldn't add any of the visit in without making this way too long. So anyway, as you can see, I chose to continue this. Hopefully the next/last chapter (the actual visit) should be up sometime in the next few days.**

 **Also, Donnie's theorising about the mutagen affecting the bacterium was basically just my cop-out for forgetting that cholera doesn't usually cause severe delirium. Since I'm a pretty bad hypochondriac, I'm not great with disease research, so I just used cholera since I already knew a little about it from History. Sorry if there are any medical inaccuracies.**

 **Finally, sorry for the long A/N, and thank you for reading this chapter :)**


	3. Resolution

***Slight spoiler for Annihilation Earth! Skip the first bit of dialogue if you haven't seen it yet***

* * *

Three days later, antibiotics and plenty of water had cleared the worst of the cholera from Karai's system. The nutrients infused to her via her IV line had helped her regain her strength, and long hours of rest had replenished her energy and attitude. Many of her hours were spent sleeping, with occasional intrusions from various doctors and nurses. Visiting hours were uneventful but pleasant, as April would sit beside her - pointedly ignoring the uncertainty between them - and tell her stories about the turtles' adventures.

"Wait, wait, the aliens _destroyed_ the- I don't believe you."

April laughed. "It's true! We had to travel back in time with a robot called the Fugitoid to fix it!"

" _Time travel?_ " Karai rolled her eyes and lay back in her bed. "Now I _know_ you're lying to me."

"I am not!" She protested.

Karai laughed, but it soon broke into coughs. April handed her the water bottle from the nearby table. Tentatively, Karai nodded in gratitude. As the dark-haired kunoichi sipped at the chilled water, the redhead shifted uncomfortably on the plastic chair. Despite all the talking she and Karai had been doing the last few days, there was still one vital question that April wanted an answer to.

"Why are you staring at me?"

April started; she hadn't realised she was staring at anything. However, instead of providing a relevant response to the _question,_ she blurted out, "Are we cool now?"

An eyebrow raised. "What?"

"I, uh- Never mind."

Karai leaned over to put down the bottle; April took it from her hands to save her the strain. "Just tell me."

She sighed. "I was just wondering... We've spent a lot of time together this week, and... I just wanted to know if that makes us, like, friends now?"

"Hmm..." Her mouth twisted. "I don't know if we're friends; I doubt you'd be surprised to know I've never really had any." She drummed her fingers on her duvet. "Although I... I no longer consider you an enemy."

"...You too," April replied lamely.

Karai smirked at her, laughter dancing in her eyes. April countered with a sincere smile. This was a step in the right direction, if nothing else.

* * *

That night, April slipped back through the hospital corridors, donning a white lab coat that she may or may not have 'borrowed' from someone's desk. She quickly punched in the key-code to Karai's ward, then disappeared into her little side room before anybody spotted her. The dark-haired girl was curled up in her bed, but not quite asleep.

She blinked in confusion as April flicked the lamp on. " _April?_ What are you- Oh. Yeah. I'd forgotten about tonight."

The redhead gave her a sympathetic look. "Are you sure you still want to do this?"

"... Yes," Karai answered firmly. "I'm not backing out now."

"Good, because I did _not_ wanna be the one to tell them it was off."

Chuckling, April crossed to the long window on the far side of the room. She barely had time to throw it open before Mikey came barrelling towards it, a wide grin on his face.

"Sis!" He cried eagerly, rushing to the bedridden girl and crushing her in his arms. Donnie followed behind him at a more leisurely, ninja-style pace, smirking in amusement. Leo and Raph waited outside; they had all agreed it would be best to start with the brothers Karai had the least emotional connection to.

Gently, Donnie prised Mikey off. "Take it easy; we want her to get _out_ of hospital, remember?"

The little turtle pouted. "Fine. Can I at least hold her hand?"

Donnie was about to argue when a thin, pale hand reached between them. Both brothers glanced down to see Karai gazing up at them, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. Beaming, Mikey grasped her hand happily in both of his and settled himself on the chair beside her bed. As he began to chatter excitedly to her, Donnie gestured for April to join him.

"It's so good to see you, dudette! And even better, we get to see a human hospital at the same time! I've never been in a real hospital before, just Donnie's lab. This place is way nicer - they give you a big bed and everything! In Donnie's, we just have a metal cot. So I guess you should enjoy this while you can, huh?"

"It's... more comfortable than I expected," Karai said quietly. "Then again, even the metal cot would be a step-up from the sewer floor."

"You were sleeping on the sewer floor? Don't you know what that stuff's made of?!" Mikey jostled her lightly. "You shoulda just hung out up top and found us when we were patrolling! We could've put you up with a five-star dojo mat!"

April was distracted from their conversation by Donnie tugging on her arm. He questioned her incessantly about Karai's condition and improvement, frantically jotting down her responses in his battered notebook.

Watching them curiously, Karai whispered, "Is he always like this?"

Mikey nodded. "We've lost him. He has two of his favourite things: April and science babble."

"I heard that, Mikey."

The little turtle squeezed her hand tighter, disregarding his brother. "So, I need to ask you an important question." He paused dramatically. "Have you ever seen Super Robo Mecha Force Five?"

Her brows furrowed. "What is it?"

He gasped. "Only the best show in the whole world ever! As soon as you get outta here, we're marathoning every episode!"

"I was never allowed to watch television as a child," she explained. "Shredder thought it was a waste of time that could be spent honing skills."

"Oh. Master Splinter usually let us watch for a couple hours if we did all our chores and worked hard in training." Mikey rubbed her hand subconsciously. "Those were sorta the only real rules we had as kids. Well, that and don't waste anything. We didn't have a lot spare, considering the whole, y'know, sewer thing."

Karai hummed thoughtfully. "Waste was never a concern for me. I was taught that training, obedience and loyalty to the clan were all that mattered." She chuckled softly. "As you can see, only the first one really stuck with me."

Mikey laughed with her, but shook his head. " _Nah_. It just didn't stick with Shred-head; now you're with your _real_ clan, I bet you'll be loyal-er than ever!"

"... I intend to be," she confessed almost inaudibly.

Sensing it was a tender moment, he smiled gently at her. "Awesome."

"Karai?" asked Donnie tentatively, breaking the moment. "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

She shook her head. "As long as it's not too complicated; my head is still fuzzy."

The purple-banded turtle settled in on her other side, feverishly scribbling down her comment. "It shouldn't be too bad. I just need to make sure you don't have any unusual symptoms that could indicate an interference from the mutagen."

Mikey frowned in confusion. "Dude, I thought you said it wouldn't be too bad."

While Karai was occupied, April ventured over to the window again. As she approached, she heard a suspicious shuffling and scratching sound against the wall, as if two shapes had frantically scrambled back. When she peered out, she was met with the sight of Leo kneeling right around the corner. Raph waited a little further off, seemingly uninterested.

"Is she okay?" Leo inquired eagerly.

April motioned for them to be quiet, but nodded. "She's good," she whispered. "Donnie's just giving her a quick medical interrogation."

Both brothers winced in understanding.

" _So_ ," April continued pointedly, "maybe you two should get in there and rescue her...?"

Leo hesitated. In the silence, Raph groaned. "I'm really getting tired of rescuing her."

The blue-banded turtle was nudged into movement by Raph, and both turtles climbed through the window. Karai glanced up from Donnie's notebook as they entered. She started at them with wide eyes, which they mirrored back at her.

Mikey, ever the release of tension, waved to them, Karai's hand still encased in his. "Hey bros, welcome to the party!"

Raph scoffed. "You have to be the only person who's ever said that in a hospital."

Leo, meanwhile, was thoroughly distracted. He held Karai's gaze steadily as he crossed the room, before leaning over to wrap her in a tender embrace. "I'm so glad you're okay."

After a brief moment of indecision, Karai placed her free arm around his carapace. They held each-other for a few moments before Leo pulled away. She smiled at him. "You know what I can't say."

He smiled back. "I know. You're welcome." He laughed awkwardly. "Even if we didn't really do anything this time."

"No," she corrected him, "you did. You refused to give up on me. You came here."

"How could we not?"

"You would have every reason not to."

"Alright princess, just shut up and be grateful we did," Raph remarked sharply.

She looked right into his emerald-green eyes. "I am."

The honest emotion threw Raph for a loop. "Well, uh... Good, then. You'd, uh, better be..."

April smiled as she pulled up chairs for herself, Raph and Leo. They stayed for almost an hour, making light-hearted small talk and chatting. Everyone would have liked the meeting to continue, but Karai was yawning often and her eyes were beginning to fall shut. Eventually, it was painfully clear that Karai needed to rest.

"Okay guys," Leo sighed regretfully, "I suppose we should let her sleep."

" _Aw_!" Mikey whined. "But I wanna talk to her more!"

"Well, if she sleeps she'll get better faster, so she'll be home for you to bug even quicker," Donnie reasoned.

April glanced at Karai worriedly and saw Leo doing the same. The sickly kunoichi gave them a reassuring smile. "I was hoping to... come back when I recover."

"Then we'll leave you in peace." Leo squeezed her shoulder as he stood. Donnie and Raph also rose from their respective seats, prompting April to stand from her perch on the edge of the bed.

Only Mikey made no attempt to move, still possessively gripping the hand Karai had allowed him to hold. "But _guys_..."

Karai looked to April. "Are you returning tomorrow?"

The redhead frowned. "I'm coming back to see you in the day, but I won't be able to let them in tomorrow night."

"Then I'm not leaving!" Mikey declared.

"What if I open the window for you myself?" Karai suggested. "I can just unlatch it before the staff turn the lights off, so you will be able to come in even if I am asleep."

Leo beamed. "That sounds nice."

"So we'll see you tomorrow, then," said Donnie softly, pulling her duvet up over her. "Make sure you get a lot of rest, so your body has an easier time healing."

Never one for sentimentalities, Raph merely punched her in the arm before walking back to the window. Mikey gave her another huge hug and refused to leave until she pinky-swore to keep the window open for them. As Donnie escorted the youngest out of the window, Leo turned to Karai one last time and have her another gentle hug.

"I missed you," he admitted.

She didn't say anything, but her head resting on his shoulder was answer enough.

After Leo disappeared through the window with a smile and a wave, Raph - who had lingered inside to ensure everyone was coming - glanced at April. "You coming?"

"I'm gonna have to re-lock that once you guys are out," she reminded him, "but if you can wait ten minutes in the Shellraiser then I wouldn't mind a lift home."

Raph rolled his eyes. "You have ten minutes before we drive off and leave ya. Bye, princess."

"Later, hothead." Karai replied, rolling over to face the opposite wall. This action meant she missed Raph's lengthy gaze at her. April however did not, and she smiled at the longing she found amidst his indignation.

When the turtle had joined his brothers in the cloak of night, April locked the window and began re-stacking the chairs. " _So_..."

"Look, I don't usually say this, but... thank you."

April's eyes widened. "Whoa. I wasn't even sure you knew that phrase."

"Shut up," Karai laughed, "I'm serious. You brought them here, and for that I'm grateful."

"No problem. After all, they are your brothers." The redhead halted suddenly. "Hey, I just thought of something."

"Congratulations."

Undeterred, April continued, "If the turtles are _your_ actual family and _my_ surrogate family, then does that mean we're... like sisters?"

"Hmm..." Karai fell silent. The only sound in the room was April awkwardly tidying up for so long that she was surprised when Karai spoke again. "I suppose it does."

"Cool." April grinned. "Well, I guess I'll be going. See you tomorrow... Onee-san."

"Don't push it."

* * *

 **Okay, I feel like I've redeemed myself, because that was much longer than I meant it to be. I think I'll leave it here ( _actually_ this time), since even though I'd like to write some scenes with Splinter and Casey, I can't think of anything with enough sustenance to be worth it :')**

 **So thank you for reading :)**


	4. Conclusion

A little less than a week later, Karai was ready to be released from the hospital. April, unaware of this, still arrived for visiting hours.

"Hey," she greeted absently, before starting in surprise at the sight of Karai stood by the window. "Whoa, what are you doing up?"

The dark-haired girl smirked. "They've been getting me up the last couple of days to test my motion."

April glanced around the room. "Shouldn't someone be with you if they're testing you?" Karai raised an eyebrow, and suddenly April understood. "Oh, I get it. You're just breaking the rules."

"Hey, they only told me I needed to get used to moving again before they could let me out," she informed her. "I can't break a rule they didn't specify."

Shaking her head fondly, April joined her at the window. "So they're thinking of letting you go?"

"Planning to," Karai corrected. "They're hoping to get me out of here either tomorrow or the day after."

"Oh. Well, that's great!" The redhead beamed, but her smile faded when Karai didn't mirror it. "Isn't it?"

She sighed thoughtfully. "I'll be.. relieved to leave this room," she began. "I'm just somewhat... hesitant about seeing someone."

"Master Splinter?" April guessed. Taking Karai's silence as a 'yes', she continued, "He's not mad, you know. He's really missed you."

Her tone was humourless. "I'm sure."

"Seriously, he has," April assured her. "You're his daughter; he loves you."

"... What did he say when he found out I was here?"

"..."

"April?"

"Okay, don't be mad, but he _kinda_ doesn't know yet."

"How could I _not_ be mad?!" She snapped, but her voice was on the verge of breaking. "What if I just turn up and he doesn't want me there? What if...?"

She trailed off as April embraced her. Both girls were surprised by the redhead's actions; while they had certainly been growing closer, neither had really thought much about physical contact. However, April refused to let go until she felt Karai's tense muscles relax. Only then did she lean back and offer, "Well, if the lair's too much to handle just now, I know a pretty decent couch that's open for you."

"I... I really appreciate it."

"Don't worry." April smiled. "We're gonna have to tell those charity guys _something_ , right?"

* * *

"Hey, you holding up okay?"

April glanced back, momentarily confused as to why Casey would be asking her that. Then she realised she hadn't been the focus of the question at all, and quickly turned her attention back to the tunnel ahead of her in an attempt to pretend she wasn't listening.

She heard Karai laugh dryly as she replied, "Well, I'm honestly not thrilled to be back in the sewers. It almost feels like I'm tempting fate."

Casey laughed and presumably jostled her, because April heard her shoes scuff on the paving. She was about to tell him off when she heard even more scuffling, followed by a splash and Casey's cry of disgust. "Ugh, _sick!_ You ruined my boots!"

Both girls burst out laughing, Karai hurrying to catch up to April before Casey could get his revenge. As the hockey nut trudged up to join them, grumbling beneath his breath, the turnstiles of the lair came into view. Karai immediately tensed. April caught her arm reassuringly, and despite his earlier annoyance at her, Casey gave her a playful slap on the back in encouragement.

She exhaled slowly. "Okay."

The kunoichi began walking forward, determined. With a quick gesture for Casey to do the same, April hurried to flank her. When she paused right before entering, April strode ahead anyway, leaping the turnstiles cleanly. Casey followed, kicking off his dirtied boots as he did so. A moment later, Karai copied.

Miraculously, the main room was empty for once, giving Karai a brief moment to adjust to the space that was simultaneously familiar and unknown. "Wow," she muttered to nobody in particular. "Nothing's changed."

"Yeah, after the space thing, the guys wanted to keep the lair pretty much the same," commented Casey. "Oh, do you know about the space thing?"

Immediately Karai turned to April, who was facing her with a smug grin. "Told you," she sing-songed.

Before the kunoichi could respond, Donnie emerged from his laboratory. He halted when he saw the room's occupants. "Oh, hello! I didn't know you were coming today!"

Again the dark-haired girl rounded on her. "You didn't tell them either?"

"Of course I told them!" April protested.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, she told us; I was just distracted with my work!" Donnie assured her fervently. His tone softened. "I'm really glad you're here."

"It's very nice to see-"

"KARAI!" Mikey, appearing out of nowhere, barrelling straight into his sister and trapping her in his arms. "I MISSED YOU!"

"We saw her last night, knucklehead," Raph reminded him, entering in a more leisurely fashion. He merely inclined his head as a form of greeting.

"Whatever." Mikey stuck his tongue out at his brother. "I'm making up for all the years of hugs I missed out on!"

"Let her go, Mikey, she needs to breathe," Leo remarked in amusement. He walked in from the dojo, a smirk playing at his lips. "Hey, Karai. Welcome home."

Comforted by his presence, Karai smirked. "I expected you to at least tidy the place up for me."

"I agree, but with four sons, the task is rather difficult."

The voice took everyone by surprise. Leo stepped aside, revealing Master Splinter exiting the dojo. Karai froze in place, almost shivering.

Splinter smiled warmly at her. "I have missed you, my child."

Acting on impulse, the girl rushed forwards and hugged him. He held her close, running a hand through her outgrown hair. When he felt sobs begin to shake her, he motioned for the rest of his family to give them a moment alone. Once the room had cleared, he guided her to the couch.

She scrubbed furiously at her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"I do not know what you are referring to, but there is no reason to apologise," Splinter told her kindly.

The girl shook her head vehemently. "Of course there is! After all you and your family did for me, I ran off - _twice!_ "

"You may be mature, Miwa, but you are still young and confused; I do not blame you for your actions, as long as you have learned from them." He gently clasped her hand.

"I believe I have," she answered honestly.

He squeezed her hand a little tighter. "As do I."

They sat in silence a while longer, enjoying each-other's company. Karai had never had a parental figure in her life that she could simply sit with peacefully, and despite having four sons and two surrogate children, something felt different about the encounter to Splinter.

Finally, he released her hand and rose. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please." She stood and followed him to the kitchen area, feeling too out of place to sit in the room by herself.

"Do you have any preference?" He inquired. When she shook her head, he set about brewing the tea. "Now, I must ask you, my child, if I offend you by addressing you as 'Miwa'."

She nibbled on her lip for a moment as she thought. "It doesn't offend me... but I'm not sure I'd like everybody to call me it just yet."

"Very well. May I continue to address you as such?"

"Of course. After all, you _did_ choose it for me."

Splinter chuckled. "In actuality, the name was Shen's idea. We had many debates over you, one of which concerning your name. When she suggested 'Miwa', however, I knew it would fit you perfectly."

"Harmony..." Karai mused. "Doesn't seem all that fitting to me."

"I disagree," Splinter stated simply. "Perhaps you do not believe it now, but I feel that in time you will no longer feel obliged to be Miwa or Karai; you will grow into _yourself_. A _harmony_ of two clans, if you wish."

Stunned, Karai blinked back at him. "I... Thank you."

"Hmm. I seem to remember Leonardo mentioning you did not care for that phrase."

"It's more a case of I cannot... express that phrase properly," she explained. "It wasn't much used in the Foot. Perhaps I will grow used to it in this clan."

"I would hope so."

Splinter carried the teapot and two cups to the table and poured their drinks. Karai bowed her head respectfully to him before lifting the cup. "Domo arigato," she thanked him.

Lifting his own cup, Splinter smiled. "It seems you are becoming better versed in the phrase already."

She smiled back. After a sip of tea, however, she hesitated. "I don't know if I can stay here yet."

He sighed calmly. "Truthfully, I suspected as much. We will not force you, although you must remember that you will always be welcome. Though I must inquire as to where you plan to go instead?"

"April offered me her couch," Karai informed him. "Her father permits it."

"Good, as long as you are not returning to the streets."

She smirked. "Not as long as I have a choice."

They enjoyed their tea in contented silence, conversation unnecessary at that point. When they had finished their drink, Karai diligently gathered their dishes and took them to the sink. "Thank you, my daughter," he called after her, rising more leisurely.

Turning to glance at him, Karai smiled brightly. "It's the least I could do; I _have_ been skipping my chores for the last eighteen years."

Splinter chuckled, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Be careful; you do not want Michelangelo to hear you say that."

"TOO LATE!" chimed a voice from just outside the room.

Father and daughter looked to each-other and laughed together. As Karai resumed washing the dishes and Splinter picked up a rag to dry them, she couldn't deny the feeling that this was where her life should have been.

* * *

 **Done. I'm _done_. _Done_. Maybe if I say it enough times, the fandom will stop drawing me back to this. Seriously though, this actually is the end, so thanks for sticking with it :)**

 **Hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading xD**

 **~ MusicRocks807 xx**


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